Project: Kokoro
by Lizzy '-' rocks
Summary: Rin is a genius, kept suppressed and always forced to work as hard as possible. When she participates in a science competition, she strives to create the one thing that had eluded scientists since the beginning of time: Life. (One shot, NOT a songfic)


A/N- I wrote this a little less than a year ago, then finally typed it up a month ago, then got in back from my editor a day ago. My writing style might seem weird here, I guess... :P

It's kinda loosely based off the song 'Kokoro' (If you couldn't tell by the title) but I'm hoping it's a new take on it nobody has done yet. ^^

Anyway, I hope you guys like it :)

* * *

Living, but without any true joy or happiness in her 'life'. That was the sad, pathetic life of Rin Kagamine, the girl genius who was never allowed to fail.

From the time she was five, her parents decided that she was far brighter than others her age. Unless normal kindergarteners had read the dictionary? They gave her everything anyone of such high intellect could possibly need, but nothing that an elementary school girl would want.

She had encyclopedias instead of picture books, and had read such classics as "The Art of War" and "Romeo and Juliet" by the end of fourth grade, to 'broaden her vocabulary'.

She had unofficially finished college at fourteen, just by studying the extensive textbooks forced upon her. However, they never asked if she actually _wanted_ any of it. But she never complained, even when she was so sick of the pressure that she was tempted to run away at times.

However, the real point at which she snapped was when her mother came into her room one day and said,

"I assume you've heard of the Crypton University 'Lock-Down Science Contest'?" She paused, as Rin looked up from the notes she was taking from page 2142 of "Ancient Egyptian Lifestyle and Architecture" and nodded.

"Well, I decided that it would be a good idea for you to enter. You know the basics, of course-you're given a fully-stocked lab and nothing but your own mind to create something amazing. I know you can win, so I already signed you up. And the prize money is nothing to sneeze at, either. Well, I'll leave you to study, okay?"

With that, she left the room. RIn continued to copy down information about the significance of the designs of canopic jars, but her mind was hovering to somewhere near the competition.

It was fairly well known among the scientific community, but very few people actually entered it-the mental strain proved to be too much to bear for most people. And the fact that once you were in the lab, you couldn't leave until you finished your creation. It was enough to make even the brightest of college professors wary of competing.

And now she was going to have to participate in it. Rin turned this thought over as she lay in bed that night. It wasn't that she was scared, exactly, she just wasn't entirely sure what to make. Sure, she had a few ideas that she had been waiting to try, but would any of them be enough to beat out the top professors and scientists in the nation? Maybe her new theory for an alternate energy source...?

No. All at once, she knew what she was going to create-something that had eluded the human race since the beginning of time, something that would win her the competition without a doubt. OOO She would create life.

* * *

As the beginning of the contest drew nearer, Rin threw herself wholeheartedly into prep work for what she was going to attempt. Even she, who probably knew enough to have an intelligent discussion with Einstein, was almost entirely clueless on how to go about her plan.

She frantically speed-read through books and journals on failed attempts at her task, mentally noting how close they had gotten, and the obvious flaws in all of their plans.

A few were closer to robots than actually having even the slightest semblance to living things, which Rin found frustrating-making computers was easy enough, but she didn't want to make a computer, she was determined to create a true human.

The part she knew without a doubt would be hardest was the 'heart', or the very essence of life that separates humans from computers-a soul, maybe, or a spirit. But now to create it...

That was the challenge, because there's no magical formula for personality.

* * *

The day of the competition's start arrived, and Rin's parents drove her to the large, square complex bright and early. Once she was checked in, and had gone through multiple security checks, much like on an airplane, a man who was far too awake for that time of day showed her to the lab that she would be working in.

It was huge, with rows upon rows of chemical vials and solutions, all on high shelf that spanned the length of the room's longest wall. Opposite thy display, against the other wall, there was a work table with multiple expensive microscopes, as well as a stack of notebooks and some other supplies.

Then, Rin noticed that there was a bed, small wardrobe, and an uncomfortable-looking chair in one corner. That would, she assumed, mean that this was indeed a complete lockdown, true to the name. She'd be in this room, with no breaks, until she had completed her self-assigned task and created life.

Her parents left quickly after that, telling her that they were sure she would win. And after that, she was left completely alone.

She was unsure where to start her daunting assignment, so she grabbed a blank notebook from the top of the pile and settled herself at the desk. Rin then started to draw-not the best first step, maybe, but it was undeniably necessary.

She carefully sketched out an outline, and began to flesh it in with features. Almost unaware of her actions, she drew out a young boy on the paper.

He had hair that was a bit longer than average, and was well-proportioned, if a little on the thin side.

She was pleasantly surprised to find a box of sharp colored pencils in a drawer, and began to add a bit of color; he had bright turquoise eyes, and yellow-blonde hair. She resolved that, even if all else failed, he would have those features-eyes and hair almost perfectly matching hers, as though he was the twin she never had.

Rin then made a list of all of the essential body systems, then broke the list down into all of the organs needed for a human to function.

It was well into the night by the time rin was satisfied with the organization-she had measured out exactly what she was going to need to get to work the next day. (Well, the clock on the wall said it was late, as the room had no windows)

* * *

She worked furiously over the next few days, and although any normal person would be starting to feel the strain of the effort, she was still going strong. Not because she wasn't working hard, but because for the first time ever she truly _wanted_ to succeed, and wasn't simply being forced to.

She worked late every night, and stopped only to use the adjoining restroom or occasionally eat, if she remembered. Dark circles showed under her eyes, but even as she labored over chemical compounds and cell structures, she always had a hint of a smile on her face. Whether it was due to her rapid progress or the fact that the solitary confinement was straining her, she always held that slight smile on her face.

* * *

It had been two weeks, and Rin was finally satisfied enough with her outlining to begin the real challenge-the actual creation of the body.

She spent nearly half an hour finding all of the vials and bottles she would need, then settled herself at one end of her work table. Using the highest-magnification microscope available, she carefully mixed together the necessary chemicals.

Finally, after about ten attempts and an explosion (apparently those chemicals didn't combine well...), she had managed to create what might, if everything had gone correctly, be a section of an artery.

The minuscule tube was hardly 1/8 of an inch long, but Rin was proud of her slight accomplishment, even if it wasn't hardly a dent in all of the work she still had left to do. However it gave her hope that maybe, just_maybe_, this would be possible after all.

* * *

A month into the contest, Rin was informed via an intercom that two out of the twenty-four entrants had already finished, and most of the rest were getting fairly close.

However, she'd only managed to complete most of the skeleton, veins, and a few strands of tendon and muscle.

She wasn't discouraged, though-the whole thing was hardly about winning to her anymore, and had become her challenge to herself to create a person. For whatever reason, she had decided to name her project, and decided quickly on "Project: Kokoro."

Maybe it was because although she was only getting a slight amount closer, she was still worried about the 'spirit' of her finished product. She was, although she would never admit it, beginning to feel a bit of the strain from her isolation and overwork.

The most amazing part of her accomplishment was the fact that she had created organic material which so greatly resembled that of a true human that it was hard to distinguish any difference-athe bones were perfectly shaped, and every single one was accounted for. There wasn't a flaw in sight on the entire thing, and once Rin was absolutely sure of this, she began the next step.

Step by step, "Project: Kokoro" was getting a little bit closer to completion, and a little closer to her final act of genius-because she had decided that once she finished she would be done. She would finish here of course, even if it killed her-because what more could she do, once she finished this?

* * *

The four-month mark had arrived, and Rin had been informed that there were only six competitors left, including herself. She had completed almost all of the muscle and tendon, as well as a few organs. However, she was starting to slip up a bit.

Although she was still always hard at work, she could be found talking to herself a lot more than was probably healthy, and had even taken to singing a song, with very simple lyrics:

"_Heart and soul, miracle, miracle, heart and soul..."_ Of course, it was probably to be expected given how much time had passed without any human contact, save for the half-formed corpse that was the fruit of her labor.

Although she was going, a little insane, perhaps, she still managed to continue her quest of completing the person before her. Sure, she couldn't quite remember her parents' faces anymore, or even their names, but she remembered how they looked. Mostly...

* * *

Reality was slipping away, so much that her parents had come and tried to reason with her through the intercom. They had threatened to come in and drag her out, and she had _screamed_ at the thought, even though she knew she sounded crazy.

And so she was allowed to stay, although by that point she was the only one still left in solitary confinement in what had started out as an innocent-enough science competition, but slowly evolved into an obsession, her new reason for living. OOO

* * *

Rin had been enclosed in the laboratory for an entire year, and was amazingly close to completion. She was nearly done with everything down to the smallest detail, from fusing the nails to the ends of its-his-digits and the slightest intricacies of the brain. Skin now coated the whole thing, although it was bonded to the muscle a bit loosely in some parts.

The entire torso was completed, with every organ perfectly created and flawlessly connected. It was entirely ready to function, she pondered as she fixed the last bit of the skin, he just had to be brought to life.

Brought to life... That would be the hardest part of all.

_Unless..._

She though of something suddenly, a brilliant idea that had a much higher chance of succeeding than any of her other previous theories.

Once the body's complete, it will be perfect but dead, right? The individual organs may function perfectly, but without a central life force, there's no purpose for it. If there was some way for Rin to transfer a portion of herself, her own 'heart and soul' into the created body, the it could work!

Of course, being able to bring it to life at all would be a miracle, but Rin was still unsure of one detail-just because it would have her life force wouldn't automatically give it her personality.

Maybe...maybe if she could just find a way of giving it a soul, she would finally be satisfied and finish the "Project: Kokoro", which had taken over a year of her young life.

Rin turned on the dusty computer in the corner which she had used scarcely since her arrival, and typed out an extremely complicated computer program. Once she was finished, she relaxed greatly, as she was completely sure her theory would succeed and she would bring him to life.

* * *

About a week later, she was totally satisfied with the entire thing, and certain that the empty shell was ready to contain life. She injected blood into the vessels, and connected a few thin wires from the computer to his arms, legs, and forehead. She then placed a single wire on the inside of her own arm.

Rin clicked on the program she had created, and instantly felt a jolt through the wire attaching her to the computer. She assumed everything was going as planned, since she was beginning to feel dizzy and lightheaded.

She shakily moved her free hand to her creation's jaw, and relief flooded through her as she detected a faint pulse, which grew steadily stronger as she grew weaker.

But that was okay-it was alive. _He_ was alive. She looked over with blurring double vision, and realized startlingly that instead of using only the energy needed to kick-start his life, it was going to use her _entire_ life force-maybe even her _soul_.

As her eyes were beginning to slide slowly closed, she could faintly hear a voice, more masculine than her own, saying softly:

"_Don't go... After all you did for me... Thank you."_ Although it wouldn't make sense to anyone else, those were the best words she could ever hear.

Because her creation was able to not only talk, but to speak with such clear, raw _emotion_. She had succeeded, in the end. What started out as a friendly science competition ended up taking the life of a young girl genius, who could never be understood-Rin, who had done more than simply create a miracle. She had created the only thing that could ever understand her.

"_Heart and soul, miracle... Miracle, heart and soul..." _She died with a faint smile on her mouth.

* * *

A/N- So what did you think? (I killed Rin... again... please don't hate me OTL)

Liked it? Absolutely hated it? Remember, reviews are author food, and I don't want to starve!


End file.
